They say that patience is the virtue that you show when there are too many witnesses around to see how you may have behaved otherwise. Be that as it may, it has been a virtue that we have been implored to employ over the past year or more. And like in all instances when we require patience, it is as we enter the final straight that the adherence to it becomes the most difficult.
I am not one for wishing my life away, but I think if many of us were to be given a time machine, we would fast forward it now to mid-summer when a large chunk of the population will have been vaccinated and when there will be a return to some semblance of normality.
That day is coming closer and closer and with it will come a newfound appreciation for the little things in life. Companionship, the joy of meeting people; the mindfulness of a cup of coffee that you didn’t make yourself; the delight at seeing people getting back to work; the pure joy of being among a community again, if not in the same numbers or density, but at least being among.
Next Monday we see some more slight relaxation in the restrictions when the 5km rule is replaced by a 20km rule. From the same date, people can also meet one other household outdoors but not in gardens. All residential construction will also restart.
At the same time, the vaccinations continue; maybe not at the pace we would all wish, but at a solid pace nonetheless. Such a massive vaccination programme in such a short space of time could never have been rolled out without its complications. Even the finest countries in the world have struggled too. Israel and the UK had their massive headstarts on the rest of us have not hit anywhere near the required numbers of totally vaccinated people yet. This is not a sprint but a marathon and not that international competition matters, but let us see where we all stand internationally come mid-summer. My belief is that we will be there right in the mix with the best of them.
A lot has been written and said this week about the priority list for the vaccination. I would not have any issue with anybody who is more exposed than I am in getting the vaccine ahead of me. Indeed, I would gladly give up a space so that someone who is more exposed could get it. I think of gardai, retail workers, special needs teachers/teachers/transport workers, the list goes on. But there is no doubt that the speed at which we can vaccinate can be expedited if the categorisation is made all the more simple. And the powers that be have determined that age is the best categorisation of that, given that the death rates of those who are older is a major multiple of those who are younger.
Now is a time for calm heads — the timing in the midst of union conference season has not helped lower the raised voices. I think people will calm down a bit when a rough guide as to the date of vaccination of each age group is published. If you knew you were in line for getting it on June 24 or July 25, then the tensions will ease.
By autumn we will be wondering what we were shouting about. The weeks and months will fly by. It seems no length since Christmas. Holding firm now will see us out the gap in late summer. Take care.
